Fool, by Christopher Moore

Brilliant. That one word sums up Fool, a hilarious retelling of Shakespeare's King Lear. Yes, I know - that play isn't known for its humor. But Christopher Moore is, and he lives up to his reputation in this new book. Being the first book I've read by this author, I am duly impressed, and greatly look forward to reading every other book he has written.

Pocket, the eponymous fool, is as witty as I wish I were. Being the king's jester, he is blessed with the ability to say exactly the truth about everybody, no matter whom, without fear of retribution. But when the good King Lear goes mad, all but banishes the only real friends Pocket has, and his two eldest daughters seek to sink their power-hungry teeth into the old coot, Pocket has no choice but to do what no fool has done before: play at politics. And a damn good job he does at it. Accompanied by his tremendously well-endowed, half-witted apprentice, Drool, and a disgraced yet loyal Earl of Kent, Pocket does his best to protect the old king and get his friends back.

The book is bloody and vulgar, despite there being no actual descriptions of sex (shame, that). Without Moore's wit, the book would fall completely flat. As it is, I laughed out loud more than once, and read the whole thing in three days. I cannot wait to get my hands on all of Moore's other books.